1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a manual cleaning instrument which is suitable for cleaning carpets, tatami (straw floor mats), flooring, sofas, chairs, vehicle compartments, and the like.
2. Prior Art
Cleaning instruments which employ a roll of adhesive tape, such as that disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2003-265401, are widely used as conventional manual cleaning instruments. This cleaning instrument has advantages in terms of being compact and easy to store, and also in terms of ease of use. On the other hand, it is necessary to peel the adhesive tape off one sheet at a time once the dust collection has finished, and dispose of it, and this subsequent operation is a burden for the user. There is a further problem in that the cleaning instrument itself gets rid of detritus other than the dust which has been trapped, and therefore there is an increase in the overall amount of detritus. An additional problem is that most of the exposed face is covered by adhesive tape, and therefore the roll of adhesive tape adheres to surrounding articles when cleaning in tight places, such as under a bed, and the instrument cannot be moved smoothly.
There are also manual cleaning instruments which do not employ adhesive tape, such as that disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2004-329618. This is an instrument which makes it possible to collect fibrous dust which has become entangled on carpets etc. when it is pushed against the floor surface, or the like, and moved back and forth. However, it is necessary to move the instrument back and forth while pressing it from above, and therefore it is difficult to reach into tight spaces such as under a bed. Furthermore, the back and forth movement sometimes produces an unpleasant clattering sound and vibration. It is also necessary to separate upper and lower cases in order to dispose of the dust collected.